NOURISH THE INNER ASS

Gwyneth's latest newsletter has been sent to all her faithful subscribers, and the mail Gwyn's been getting (and responding to) is both touching and inspiring. We reprint some of the ways Gwyn has been reaching out to those all over the country, encouraging them, in the motto of GOOP.com, to "nourish the inner ass."

Dear GOOP,

I am a single mother of 4 in Boise Idaho. I couldn’t afford my mortgage payments and put food on the table with just my WalMart job, so I recently took another job in the evening working at a convenience store. I have enough time to run home between jobs, cook dinner for my kids, and usually eat in the car on the way to my evening shift. By the time I get home I’m dead tired, but have to make the kids’ lunches for the morning, then off to bed for maybe 4 hours before I need to get up and start taking care of my 4 year old.

My doctor tells me I need to lose wait, and I like your way, but I just can’t find the time to devote 8 hours to sleep every night. I can’t really spend any time walking even on the weekends because those are my shopping and chore days. I would love to make better food for my kids but I don’t have the time, and I can’t really afford more than the prepackaged stuff. What is your suggestion so I can handle my weight?

Sincerely,

Big Betsy

Dear Betsy,

First, you’ve been filling your mind (and your letter!) will all sorts of “can’ts.” You need to cleanse your mind of all those “can’ts” if you’re going to be the beautiful and successful mother her children deserves.

Think of it as resistance training—every time you think you “can’t” do something –resist that thought! Make your mind shoot back immediately, “I can!” Best of all, this kind of resistance training is free, so it's easily within your grasp and budget.

Soon you’ll find all those pesky "can’ts" have been replaced with "cans," and you’ll find less reasons for why you “can’t” get 8 hours of sleep every night, or “can’t” make your kids delicious, nutritious meals (look for my new lead-free tuna salad recipe in an upcoming newsletter—it makes a scrummy lunch), or you “can’t” buy organic. Before you get your body in shape, you need to get your mind in shape. Good Luck!

Luvs and Kisses, Gwyn.

Look for more letters soon on Peephole.